Just before I was wheeled into the operating room, Lucas held my hand tightly and kissed my forehead, his eyes full of love. “Don’t be scared, Anna. It’ll be over soon. It won’t hurt, I promise. I’ll be waiting for you outside.” I placed one hand on my belly, fighting back tears as I forced a smile for Lucas. Our little angel, who should have been eagerly anticipated, was diagnosed with a defect. I had no choice but to send it back to where it came from. The doctor administered the anesthesia and pushed my bed into the operating room. Under the harsh fluorescent lights, I gradually lost consciousness. However, I overheard a nurse’s curious inquiry. “Dr. Thompson, this patient’s baby is developing well. Why does Mr. Graham want to terminate the pregnancy and even remove her uterus?” “Shh, don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. This is all Mr. Graham’s decision.” “Oh no, could it be because of that rumor…” Wasn’t the baby supposed to have a defect? What’s this about removing my uterus? What rumor? Overwhelming panic gripped my heart. I struggled to wake up and ask for clarification, to stop this surgery. But my consciousness was dragged into a bottomless abyss. When I finally opened my eyes, only Lucas was in the hospital room. He had stubble on his face and bloodshot eyes, clearly having stayed up all night watching over me. Seeing me awake, his eyes lit up. “Anna, you’re awake. How do you feel?” The incision on my abdomen throbbed with pain. I felt as if a huge part of me was missing, with cold wind whistling through the void. Tears uncontrollably slid down my cheeks. I truly believed Lucas trusted me. I never imagined he would cruelly kill our child and even permanently deprive me of the right to be a mother, all because of Jasmine’s slanderous words. I had stayed by his side every moment to reassure him. How could I possibly have had an affair? But I didn’t know that my eagerness to prove my innocence only appeared as guilty behavior in Lucas’s eyes. Lucas assumed I was just upset about losing the baby and comforted me, saying we would have children in the future. I stared at him steadily, unable to believe how someone could be so loving yet so ruthless at the same time. “Lucas, do you really not mind what Jasmine said that day?” I just wanted an answer, one that wouldn’t leave me in such agony. Lucas gently flicked my forehead, then chuckled indulgently. “Anna, didn’t we already say it was just a dream? Why do you remember it more clearly than I do? Don’t worry, I love you so much. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?” My heart ached terribly. I swallowed back all the accusations in my throat. After resting in the hospital for two weeks, Lucas brought me back home. As soon as we entered the Graham mansion, I heard Jasmine’s light laughter as she chatted with Lucas’s mother. A strong sense of discomfort welled up. I frowned at Lucas, only to find him looking completely unsurprised. Ever since Jasmine made those remarks, I had been very averse to seeing her. Lucas had even promised me he wouldn’t let her come to the Graham house anymore. Disappointment spread like wildfire again. Strangely enough, I had an “as expected” feeling. When Jasmine saw us, she knelt down in front of me, clutching her belly with tears in her eyes and a guilty expression. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I was out of my mind before when I drugged Lucas. I know I was wrong, but the baby is innocent. Please forgive us, mother and child.” This news hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind went blank, unable to process anything. Lucas’s mother clearly sympathized with Jasmine, who was carrying her first grandchild. She looked at me with displeasure. “Jasmine has admitted her mistake and apologized. Don’t be petty about it.” Lucas’s mother, who had treated me like her own daughter because my parents weren’t in the country, now looked at me with such unfamiliarity that I was bewildered. I could ignore all of this. What I cared about most was Lucas, who kept saying he loved me. I turned to look at the silent Lucas, unable to control the lump in my throat. “When did you find out?” “Anna, I’m sorry.” Lucas didn’t answer, just pulled me into his arms and buried his head in the crook of my neck. This was Lucas’s usual trick when apologizing. I used to find his gap moe adorable, and in the past, whenever he did something wrong, I would quickly forgive him if he did this. Did he think an affair could be easily forgiven with just an apology? What did he take me for?! I shoved him away forcefully, ignoring his shocked expression as I wiped away the tears that had unknowingly streamed down my face. Lucas explained helplessly, as if my distrust of him was very hurtful. “Anna, I really had no idea she would drug me. The baby… I only found out yesterday. I know you’re very upset, but Jasmine said she just wants to give birth to the child and then hand it over to us to raise.” Jasmine seized the opportunity to interject, choking up as she spoke. “Anna, you’ve been a mother too. You understand why I don’t want to abort the baby, right?” Thinking of the child who had been deprived of life before it was even born, my heart began to ache again, so painful I could barely breathe. Had Lucas known about Jasmine’s pregnancy all along, and that’s why he so readily took away my child? When you love someone, can you really bear to hurt them like this? For the past ten years, Jasmine had a crush on him, but he always made me feel secure, never crossing any lines in his words or actions. Whenever friends teased him, he would always put me first. “Anna is my only love, and I only recognize her.” I thought marrying Lucas meant marrying for love, but in reality, love couldn’t overcome all obstacles. A single flimsy prediction was enough to shatter all the beauty I once believed in. Suddenly, I felt so tired, losing all strength to argue. A mistress eager to climb the social ladder, a mother-in-law who deliberately made things difficult, and a husband who looked like he loved me but used a gentle attitude to force me… Perhaps leaving was the best solution. I tugged the corners of my lips into a self-mocking smile, the dull pain in my chest silent yet grinding. “Do whatever you want.” Lucas thought I had agreed and let out a huge sigh of relief. His mother snorted coldly at me, then turned to Jasmine with a beaming smile, her eyes full of concern. “Look how haggard you are. I’ll have the cook make some soup to nourish you later.” Jasmine coyly pulled Lucas’s hand and placed it on her belly. “Lucas, look, the baby is kicking me again.” Watching this family scene of love and harmony coldly, I turned and went upstairs without a word, asking my friend abroad to book me a flight to leave. Since someone always had to be the odd one out, I might as well bow out and let them be happy. I woke up startled in the middle of the night, my mind full of scenes of that child crying and asking me why I didn’t save him. I trembled, silently shedding tears. The cold empty space beside me reminded me of my failed marriage. Jasmine had said she had a nightmare, and Lucas was worried it might affect the baby in her belly, so he said he would go check on her. He never returned all night. That Lucas who used to hold me in his arms and gently comfort me whenever I had a nightmare, no matter when, would never exist again. I got out of bed intending to go downstairs for a glass of water, but there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, it was Lucas. The hidden meaning in his eyes made me feel like a stranger. “Anna, Jasmine had a dream where you didn’t like the child and pushed her down the stairs. Now she doesn’t want to give the baby to you.” “There’s a Buddha statue in Mom’s room. Can you go kneel there for a night, pray for blessings for that child, and apologize to Jasmine?” I wondered if I was still dreaming. “She just had a dream and you believe everything? Lucas, do you believe in dreams or do you just believe her?” Dreaming about that child made my emotions a bit intense. Lucas’s displeased frown made it even harder for me to pretend to be calm. In his eyes, it was just an illegitimate child. How could he feel guilty? I was so angry that tears streamed down my face, unable to say a complete sentence. Lucas sighed tiredly, as if my unreasonable behavior made him very troubled. “Anna, be good. Just kneel for one night, it’ll be fine.” “I’m doing all this for your own good. Didn’t you always want a child? Your child is gone, but Jasmine has one now. Maybe this is fate.” I trembled all over, finally unable to hold back and slapped Lucas across the face. If it weren’t for him, how could anything have happened to my child? Lucas’s expression turned cold as he looked down at me condescendingly. A chill rose in my heart. I instinctively sensed something was wrong and wanted to close and lock the door, but Lucas blocked it. “You care so much about that child? Why do you get so agitated whenever it’s mentioned?” “Anna, be more obedient and don’t make me angry. You’ve already put me in a very difficult position, but it’s okay. After all, I love you so much that I can overlook your affair. But if you keep being so willful, I’ll feed that bastard’s ashes to the dogs!” I stared at Lucas in disbelief, unable to believe that the man I had loved for so many years could become so unfamiliar, could say such things. “What evidence do you have that I had an affair? You’re the one who made the mistake first! Lucas, that was our child, how could you be so cruel…” Lucas neither confirmed nor denied, clearly not believing my words. I had no choice. That child had already been deprived of life. How could I bear to see him not rest in peace even after death? “Fine, I’ll go kneel.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at Lucas again. Choking back the taste of iron in my throat, I squeezed out a response. I wanted to pray for that child, hoping the Buddha would bless him. Next time, may he not be born into a family where his father doesn’t want him. “Also, Jasmine said she’s not comfortable sleeping in the guest room. For the baby’s sake, why don’t you switch rooms with her for a while?” Lucas didn’t care what my reaction was. He announced it like a notification and hurried away when he heard Jasmine say she was uncomfortable. Leaving me standing there, my heart shattered into pieces. From that night on, I had to kneel in front of the Buddha statue for two hours every night. Lucas’s mother found me an eyesore and had someone move the Buddha statue to a corner by the stairs next to the storage room. She even made me kneel when the servants were around. “Who knows if you’re sincere or not if no one’s watching?” I remained silent, praying sincerely for my child amidst the servants’ gossip. Meanwhile, Lucas, who said he loved me, appeared with Jasmine in places where I used to be. His little childhood sweetheart also became the “wife” in the mouths of company employees, the “sister-in-law” among Lucas’s friends, and the “true love” of Mr. Graham in media reports. Their love story was praised by everyone, their ten-year unwavering devotion admired. And I was naturally left behind, even becoming a topic of after-dinner gossip as the third wheel. I thought Lucas would take the opportunity to file for divorce, but even when I put the signed divorce papers in front of him, he remained unmoved. “You and Jasmine are in love and have a child together. Isn’t divorce the best choice for us?” I had already compromised this far. I didn’t understand what else Lucas wanted. I had already shattered my heart into pieces. I couldn’t give anything else. Lucas picked up the divorce papers, his eyes dark and unclear, his face covered with a layer of gloom. He tugged the corner of his lips into a smile, but without a trace of joy. “I’ve already forgiven your affair and am trying to find a way to permanently solve the problem. Yet you’re only thinking about leaving.” “What, are you in such a hurry to go find your lover? Are you that desperate?” Lucas had always been gentle and polite in front of me, never saying such crude and vulgar words. I thought I couldn’t be disappointed anymore, but Lucas always managed to surprise me. I endured the embarrassment, endured the nausea churning in my stomach. There was no point in arguing with someone who didn’t believe you at all. Once I got the signed divorce papers, I could take the earliest flight out tomorrow. “It’s none of your business.” “You accuse me of having an affair but can’t produce a shred of evidence. On the contrary, you’ve been sneaking around with Jasmine, and now you’re openly attending various events with her during our marriage. Who’s really having the affair?” I was prepared to see Lucas’s angry expression at being exposed, but I didn’t expect him to look so pleased. “Anna, you’re jealous of me.” “That’s good, but for us to be more stable in the future, I have to ask you to cooperate with me for a bit.” I frowned as I watched Lucas stand up, unbuttoning his shirt cuffs as he walked towards me. I instinctively backed away, feeling a strong sense of unease. Lucas saw through my intention to escape. He closed the distance in a few quick strides and grabbed my hand, pulling me out. I struggled desperately, pounding and clawing at his arm, but I couldn’t break free. The feeling of unease peaked when I saw the storage room. My face instantly turned pale. “Lucas, what are you doing? Let me go, let me go!” I clung desperately to the doorframe, my eyes full of fear of that dark, narrow room. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I couldn’t hear the sounds around me, only the rapid beating of my heart threatening to burst my eardrums. “Lucas, I don’t want to go in there. Please, Lucas, don’t do this…” My whole body shook uncontrollably, the air seemed to thin, and a sense of suffocation washed over me. My pleas couldn’t soften Lucas’s heart even a bit. He pushed me into hell without hesitation. As the door slowly closed, the last bit of light disappeared, and I fell into complete despair. I had been kidnapped as a child. The kidnappers locked us children in a small dark room, threatening to kill us if they didn’t receive the ransom by the deadline. The thin door couldn’t block out the sound of flesh being hacked and blood splattering. It was only a few hours, but it left me with a lifelong trauma. The first time I told Lucas about this experience, he was so heartbroken he cried. He kissed my face gently, which was pale despite my attempts to appear calm, and promised with absolute determination: “I will never let you be alone in the darkness.” But now he was the one pushing me into the abyss of despair with his own hands. I tried to curl up, tears streaming uncontrollably as I weakly knocked on the door. “Lucas, Lucas…” Save me, please save me… The buzzing of electricity sounded, and Lucas’s voice came through the device. “Anna, stop pretending. It’s just locking you up for a while. How can it be that painful? You should reflect on yourself.” My last lifeline cruelly snapped all my hope. I lost track of time, completely gripped by despair, on the verge of breakdown, unable to squeeze out a shred of rationality. Lucas, why do you say you love me, yet hurt me constantly… Biting my wrist in a daze, in my fuzzy consciousness, a voice urged me. Bite down, and you can leave this place. You’ll never be afraid again. Some liquid flowed down. Just before I passed out, the door was kicked open and someone rushed in to hold me. Lucas’s voice rang out, suppressing his anger. “You care more about my wife than I do, her lawful husband. How dare you still say you’re innocent?!” But the next second, Lucas’s expression changed when he saw me clearly, his face full of anxiety as he ran towards me. “The patient went into shock due to excessive blood loss. If she had been brought in any later, even God couldn’t have saved her.” I woke up to the doctor’s stern criticism, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Anna, you’re awake? How do you feel?” That voice… I turned my head in confusion, surprised to see Ryan there. Ryan looked relieved and explained, sensing my confusion. “You asked Emily to book you a flight. She was worried you had suffered some grievance, and since I happened to be on a business trip to the country, she asked me to check on you.” “It’s a good thing I came in time. That bastard Lucas…” Ryan couldn’t help but grit his teeth in anger at the mention of Lucas. Lucas and Jasmine were so high-profile, and Ryan had personally witnessed me being locked up and falling ill. Of course he would be angry. “Don’t tell Emily, or she’ll cry while cursing me for sure.” Ryan, Emily, and I had played together since we were kids, but I was the only one who got married early. If it weren’t for Lucas, I wouldn’t have left the familiar environment I grew up in to marry into a foreign country. I won’t forgive Lucas. The dull pain in my wrist kept calling out, and Lucas must pay for his mistakes. “Ryan, can you help me with something?” … When Lucas arrived, Ryan had already left. He sat down silently by the hospital bed, staring at my bandaged wrist with a complicated expression. This was self-inflicted when I was unclear-headed in the storage room. The wound was deep. Sensing an uneasy aura, I began to tremble involuntarily in my sleep due to weakness. Lucas was clearly startled. He wanted to come closer to check but froze when he saw me shaking even more violently. I furrowed my brows, as if having a nightmare, and woke up with tear stains at the corners of my eyes. Lucas’s entire demeanor turned cold again, looking at me without a trace of warmth. “The adulterer has been caught. What else do you have to say?” I remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Lucas with fragile sorrow in my eyes. “Ryan is just my friend. You’ve always known that, haven’t you?” “Besides, he came on a business trip. The person he likes isn’t me.” Lucas sneered, clearly not believing it. “Friend? Would just a friend rush over so anxiously after hearing you and I were divorcing? Do you really expect me to—” “He likes Jasmine.” Lucas was stunned, clearly not having considered this possibility. “Don’t you remember? When we confirmed our relationship abroad, Jasmine flew over overnight to congratulate you. Ryan liked her even back then, but Jasmine always had feelings for you… so he never said anything.” I sobbed lightly, my eyes full of dependence on him. My bandaged hand trembled as it clutched at the hem of his clothes. “Lucas, I was so scared then. No matter how I called for you, you didn’t respond. I thought I was really going to die…” Did Lucas love me? He did. He was silent at first, but seeing my tears flow more and more, he couldn’t help but hold my hand and embrace me, softening his voice to comfort me. “Anna, there are no more obstacles now. We can finally live peacefully like before.” But I found it pathetic. Lucas’s love was limited, unable to overcome his self-righteousness. Resting my head on Lucas’s shoulder, I flashed a challenging smile at Jasmine, who stood at the door of the hospital room with an ashen face. It doesn’t matter. I won’t care anymore, more or less. After being discharged from the hospital, I pretended not to know that Lucas had already signed the divorce papers and widely publicized it to lure out the so-called adulterer. I calmly returned to the Graham house. As soon as I opened the door, there was Jasmine with a face full of “I’m doing this for your own good.” “Lucas, Anna is no longer pure. You’ve seen it yourself. Why do you still want her to come back?” I saw Lucas’s hesitation and inwardly sneered. “Jasmine, Lucas did all this just to live a good life with me. Those things are in the past, he won’t hold them against me anymore.” I affectionately linked arms with Lucas, smiling happily. “Thank you for your hard work, Jasmine. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely treat the child well after it’s born.” “Lucas has always treated you like a real sister. We’ve both been worried about you being alone all these years. I have a friend abroad, if you’re willing, I can introduce you two?” Jasmine’s face changed, and she was about to make a sarcastic remark when Lucas nodded and interrupted her. “I know Anna’s friend too. He’s a talented young man, very suitable for you.” Jasmine was at a loss, forcing a smile through her anger. “Lucas, you know I’m just worried about you and Anna. In my previous dream, Anna passed away from that disease…” Jasmine’s voice got smaller and smaller, her expression becoming awkward, as if there was something difficult to say. Lucas frowned in displeasure, a flash of disgust in his eyes that didn’t escape my notice. I remained calm, thoroughly ignoring the malice coming my way. As the atmosphere grew tense, the doorbell suddenly rang. Soon after, the housekeeper came in carrying a beautifully wrapped bouquet of roses. “Someone sent flowers for Miss Chen. The card seems to be from a Mr. Lewis.” Assuming Ryan had started pursuing Jasmine, Lucas happily handed the flowers to her, then put his arm around me and went upstairs. After closing the bedroom door, I deliberately distanced myself from Lucas. “Lucas, when are we going to remarry?” Lucas, who was about to come closer, paused in his steps. “Anna, I’ve been too busy these past few days. Let’s not rush the remarriage. I still need to prepare a surprise for you.” Without waiting for my response, Lucas left on the pretext of having something to do. I knew he was concerned about what Jasmine had said. That’s fine. It also provided me with cover. Not long after Lucas left, Jasmine appeared in the room. “Anna, you’ve got the wrong room. Your room is in the guest room.” I ignored her pretense. Just thinking about her lying in this room before made me feel sick. I didn’t plan to stay here. As I brushed past her, Jasmine blocked my way. “Lucas won’t remarry you.” She snorted meaningfully, her tone full of certainty. There’s a corner staircase leading out of the master bedroom. After speaking, Jasmine deliberately stumbled down it. I stood on the stairs, coldly watching her self-directed play. “Anna, I really just wanted you to accept the baby. I didn’t mean anything else.” Jasmine was cruel to me, but even crueler to herself. She fell down hard, her face instantly turning pale, blood gradually seeping out from beneath her. Lucas rushed over to find Jasmine clutching her belly, looking helpless and panicked. He glared at me fiercely, his face gloomy. “You really did push Jasmine down the stairs because you don’t like this child!” “Lucas, she fell down on her own. She’s trying to frame me. Please believe me, okay?” I explained weakly, the hope in my eyes shattering under Lucas’s gaze that deemed me the culprit. “Anna Quinn, how dare a lying, disgusting thing like you.” Lucas picked up Jasmine and hurried downstairs to the hospital. I turned around with a heartbroken look, went to the guest room to pack my luggage, and left through the front door under the servants’ strange gazes. Unsurprisingly, Jasmine lost the baby. Lucas stayed with her at the hospital for several days, watching her lie pale and weak in bed, silently shedding tears. His heart ached terribly. “I just wanted Anna to spend more time with the baby and develop feelings for it. I never thought she would be so intolerant of the baby.” “Lucas, I really wasn’t lying. I dreamed she pushed me down the stairs, I dreamed she had an affair, and I dreamed she got that disease. She doesn’t deserve your love at all.” The veins on Lucas’s hands bulged as he gritted his teeth. “Jasmine, I’ll make her come to the hospital to kneel and apologize to you. She dared to deceive me. She must pay the price.” With that, Lucas took out his phone and dialed my number, but no one answered. He laughed angrily and dialed the home number. “Where is Anna Quinn? Not answering her phone, off to see which wild man again? Tell her to get to the hospital immediately!” On the other end was the stammering voice of a servant. “Sir, Madam said she was going to the temple on the mountain to pray for atonement. She left a letter for you and left.”
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